Health Care Lobbyists' Rise to Power

Follow The Money: There are 3,000 Health Care Lobbyists on Capitol Hill -- and Many are Former Congress Members or Staffers

(CBS)  The pharmaceutical industry is putting its army of lobbyists into overdrive as Congress works to complete a health care reform bill.

There are 3,000 registered health care lobbyists on Capitol Hill -- that's six for every single member of Congress. And in many cases, those lobbyists are former members of Congress who shaped laws that benefitted the industry they joined.

The so-called "revolving door" is perfectly legal, CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports. Yet it leads critics to ask whether some who are supposed to be watching out for taxpayers have other interests.

In 2003, the pharmaceutical industry got a multi-billion dollar windfall with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage for seniors. Congressman Billy Tauzin, and Senators John Breaux and Don Nickles each held key roles in passing or shaping Part D. All three then left their government jobs and became lobbyists for the pharmaceutical industry.

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ProPublica's Story on Medicare and Lobbyists

Tauzin reportedly earns a $2 million salary to head up the biggest pharmaceutical lobby group: PhRMA. Breaux and Nickles have started lobby firms that are each pulling in six figures from the drug industry.

"There was sort of a mass exodus of members of Congress and staffers to go work for either pharma or pharmacutical companies," said Olga Pierce of ProPublica.

The non-profit journalism group ProPublica has found 27 former members of Congress and staffers who were major players in Part D and are now working for the pharmaceutical industry on health care reform. The revolving door is dizzying.

Lobbyist John McManus worked for Eli Lilly, became a House staffer where he was "chief staff architect" of Medicare Part D. Now he lobbies for the drug industry.

Lobbyist Michelle Easton worked on Part D in the Senate, became a vice president of PhRMA, went back to the Senate as a staffer, and now lobbies for PhRMA.

One Congressional staffer who made the leap to the pharmaceutical industry after Medicare Part D told CBS News: "every time a major bill passes, there is an exodus of Hill staffers... People are willing to pay a premium for (their) knowledge ... As long as ... ethics laws and rules are followed, why shouldn't they have that opportunity?"

It's worked out nicely for the pharmaceutical industry. It's spent at least $18 million lobbying Congress on health care reform and, so far, has fought off two proposals that would cost it billions: allowing cheaper drugs to be imported from Canada, and lowering drug prices for some Medicare patients.

No one we mentioned in this story would agree to an interview. In 2007, Tauzin told Steve Kroft of "60 Minutes" that he joined PhRMA after drugs cured him of cancer - not because he'd worked on Medicare Part D.

Kroft:A short time later, you go to work for the drug lobby at a salary of $2 million.

Mr. Tauzin: There's nothing I could have done in my life after leaving Congress that wouldn't have had -- I didn't have some impact on in 25 years in Congress. If that looks bad to you, have at it. That's the truth.

A so-called "cooling off period" hasn't slowed the revolving door: ex-members of Congress and top staffers are required to sit out for one to two years before lobbying former colleagues. Some have gotten around that by entering the lobby world under the title of "advocate" -- and advising others how to lobby.

[grumpy78]

Not one of the 3000 lobbyists or advisers has a vote in Congress!
If there is a problem it is with the members of Congress, all of whom DO have a vote.
If votes are bought and sold we should be concerned with the criminals who sell their votes or "access".

[chonder2]

At election time you have 1 vote, the CEO of Mega Corp has 1 vote...plus 30 lobbists in Washington 24/7.How much representation do you really have?How entwined does the Ledgeslative/Corporate relationship have to get before you can't tell which is which?It's already happened.

WE NEED CAMPAIGN FINANCE AND LOBBY REFORM NOW!

[thincaboutit]

If the battle over healthcare reform is making you sick to your stomach, this musical parody is just what the doctor ordered! Check out ?Healthcare Fighting (Kung Fu Mix)? at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nc1VwJOb9Y

[endurorob_5]

imprisoncheney October 21, 2009 6:47 AM EDT

Why is it, that our elected reps have to be bribed to do their job???


Actually they are being bribed not to do their job. Their job is to work for the "people" of this country not whatever special interest group has their ear or deposit slip to their off shore bank account.

[fiberglass3]

What needs reform is our policy regarding lobbyists. If our elected representatives aren't looking out for us, who is??

Look to the industries that are spending the most on lobbyists in Washington. The Insurance Industry, Oil Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry and the Banking Industry. If they can spread all that money around to influence politicians then I'll bet we are being overcharged.

[imprisoncheney]

And we criticize other countries for being corrupt . . .

Why is it, that our elected reps have to be bribed to do their job???

It's the same warped, obscene thinking that permeates every sector of society and the economy -- that's the justification that the suits on WS give for their "bonuses" -- that they're incentives to do a "better" job . . . yeah, right.

As for publicly financed elections, how about adopting the UK's method of campaigning and limit the period to 3 weeks, instead of 2 f.ing years?! That would eliminate the need for so much money and torturing of the electorate with those godawful ads and phone calls.

Also, banning tv ads altogether (like they do tobacco products) would help out a lot, too.

[localinlasvegas]

I am a resident of las vegas and i am living in the philippines 11 months of the year i had health insurance but had to get rid of it cause it cost me over a thousand dollars a month i get good health care here in the philippines and the doctor charges me just 4 dollars a vist why cant we do that in the United States Why does every body got to have a piece of the action lobbyist insurancecompany our senators our rep. No wounder why we have the highest in the world. Dont these people get paid by you and me to help us and not the insurance companys and drug companys I just cant believe that i am from the best country in the world and i have to worry about staying healthy cause i wont be able to pay to see a doctor if i do get sick . they dont get paided enough now so what they gonna do run us in debt more and say that it is the one or others fault People wake up its time to say no to them all tell them no more debt

[bobnjersey]

[One Congressional staffer who made the leap to the pharmaceutical industry after Medicare Part D told CBS News: "every time a major bill passes, there is an exodus of Hill staffers... People are willing to pay a premium for (their) knowledge ... As long as ... ethics laws and rules are followed, why shouldn't they have that opportunity?" ]

ethics laws and rules ... are there such things? does this question have to be asked? does there have to be a long winded rule to know what the boundries of ethics are?

it's all about opportunity now? whose opportunity is important here? it's now 'un-ethical' for the electorate to deny a staffer or congressman a chance at a big payoff from a large corporate entity ... a chance to game the system at everyone else's expense?

this statement alone from this staffer shows the trouble we're all in here. this ... as nearly everything else in this country ... has now come down to 'whats in it for me' ... and it's the core ingredient to cook up complete and total disaster ... where the whole thing will come undone ... by the very people who it's suppossed to serve.

it appears that only either a revolution from the people ... or a complete toppling of the system under it's own weight is going to change anything.

who's going to change this ... when all those that have the power to do it are reaping all the rewards from it staying exactly the same as it currently is?

they're all traitors ... all the while they probably think they're patriots!

[sjc_1]

Support Public Money for Public Office. Stop the revolving door of Congress and staff going to work for drug companies after they get bills like Medicare Part D passed. It was one big windfall profit program and those people got rewarded with sweet deals afterward.

If people in Congress know that they are working for the people that pay taxes, they will be less likely to cut deals with the corporations, because those people that do that would never get elected to Congress in the first place with public money offsetting corporate influence.

[ubrew12]

You pay billions of dollars extra for health insurance without added health.

The insurance industry pays those billions to Congress to kill substantive improvements in the healthcare industry.

Congress pays those billions to media companies for television commercials convincing you that even though your Congressmen vote repeatedly against your interests, they still represent your 'values'.

Media companies pay those billions to production companies and actors to convince you that America is a place filled with young healthy adults cavorting on beaches.

This system robs you of money that would actually make you healthier, and gives you back an IMAGE of a healthy America, having fun on the beach. You are giving up your reality for an image of your reality.

And THAT is the 'American Way', circa 2009. Soylent Green can't be far away.

[BeckieBest]

Well said!

[ubrew12]

by Soylent Green I mean the prospect of your gov't feeding you your own dead bodies. You know, through advertising/media, they are already feeding you your 'reality'.

[chevyhotrod]

rowdy,
Being healthy is a personal responsibility; it's not the federal government?s job. If you think the hospitals in this country are no better then a 3rd world country you are completely crazy. The "we don't deserve this" mentality is a generational entitlement ploy. We only deserve what we earn, not something that is either forced upon us, or something one has not worked for. Nothing in life is free, get used to it. You want 3rd world unemployment, keep voting for the democrats and their so called free handouts to people who have not earned it, including bailing out the banks and hedge fund managers.

[warsux]

chevyhotrod,

Exactly chevy. I deserve what I earn. Meaning that I do not want my tax dollars going to a bloated Pentagon budget that has shown none of us one ounce of results. I also do not want my tax dollars going to old white men that seem to have no problem receiving socialized healthcare, while they rail against it for the rest of us.

So, with your pro-status quo statements, tell us what your feelings are on uninsured Wal-Mart workers who get sick, go to the emergency room, and are covered under medicaid, TennCare, CHIP and Badgercare? Do you think that people that work 40 hours a week at a Wal-Mart are too lazy to get healthcare? Do you not care about your neighbors? Only yourself?

I/we also deserve roads, fire depts, police depts, mail etc...... Do you think as a civilized, industrialized country that we need to build our own bridges? You know how many people that would put out of work?

So tired of hearing the whole "entitlement" BS. We pay masssive amounts of taxes, and the vast majority of it goes to war (which, BTW, do we deserve being in two endless wars for 10 years?).

And yes, being healthy is an personal responsibility. But when you have companies like Kellogs and Kraft putting healthy eating labels on Fruit Loops and Kraft singles, you know people (maybe not you or I) are going to trust that when they see it on the shelves at Wal-Mart.

My biggest problem with what you said is that you disregard what corporations do to pass off healthcare onto the taxpayers. We pay for the poor as it is anyway. Why not the rest of us? You know, the remainder of the middle class?

[babooph]

Other nations-named corrupt by the US propaganda system should just make corruption legal LIKE THE US does.Perot knew they were crooked & destroyed democracy-the propaganda system was directed to crusify him for not wanting the corruption to go on -PROPAGANDISTS ARE ALSO LOBBIED!!!!!

[BuddyBeanbags]

Publicly financed elections are the only way we will get our voice to be heard. Ban lobbying. Corporations are not people. We're not commodities.

[jsd330]

Power and money, that's all our elected politicians care about.

[lmartink]

Power and money is what keep their worthless jobs. They get to keep their fabulous government run health care plan. The incumbents really have no motive whatsoever to "rock the boat....."

[Howellstephen75]

An article about Obama's rise to power and why congress is going off on these crazy tangents and why the media is not reporting the real news would be nice. Why is CBS, ABC, and NBC ignoring the questionable people Obama is putting into his administration in the form of so called czars. You have no trouble bad mouthing him when it comes to the war, but not health care. The American people have a right to real news not filtered through some kind of socialist filter. I am beginning to think this Democracy is not going to last.

[jd2408]

The best government money can buy.

[stn_sage]

I don't know how ANYONE in their right mind, could look at the fact that there is an EXCESSIVE amount of lobbyists in Washington, D.C., and NOT understand that America as a sovereign nation has been sold out?!

The politicians have been able to hide that realization from the public for now, but one of these days...in the near future...the public IS going to find out! And when they do...I hope the collective wrath is GREAT!

[pensacola8-2009]

I have always said political lobbying should be outlawed since I learned about it in 1992 when Ross Perot raised the national awareness about the problem. I can only pray that the elected leaders and vaccinate themselves against the forces attempting to corrupt their values. Voters first.

Be a good patriot and gladiate for the voters best interest.

Lobbyists are just the beginning of real change in Warshington. We need change from the bottom up, not the top down. Your congressmen could give a dam about you!

The only thing that will change it, is a new vote! I'm voting Independent in 2010. Warshington is just to cozy for the boys and girls down there. If WE change it, they might finally get it!

[us_1776]

Lobbyists are the root cause of all the evils in Washington. What do lobbyists represent? Special Interests!!! Big corporations and organizations. And in effect they give a small minority in society a bigger voice than they otherwise should have. Remember, we are a government "Of the people, for the people". NOT a government of the "special interest".

Our democratic system would function much better if "lobbying" was completely outlawed. The interests of every corporation, every organization are adequately represented by the shareholders, employees and customers of those corporations or organizations. When they vote, they adequately represent the interests of the non-person entities within our society. And the same goes for "lobbying".

What was the purpose of lobbying? Originally, before there was all this pervasive communication and universal access to information, it was to help educate and inform lawmakers as to various issues. But today, we have the Internet, and instant communication to anyone, anywhere in the world. So the original purpose of the lobbyist has been superceded by new technology. Today, lawmakers staffs have access to a vast wealth of knowledge on topics and issues, that their predecessors could only dream about.

The need for "lobbyists" has disappeared. And now what remains of lobbying is only used to corrupt and subvert the will of the people of the country. It is time to outlaw lobbying once and for all.

[KirstenTrout]

I'm glad that CBS showed this storey but where is the follow up. It seems that the news stations are deluting their ability to shape public opinion by only showing topics like this once in a while and with a litney of other stories. Grab onto a storey like a pit bull till you know the public hears it.(I think Dan Rather did that with Nixon) Its takes guts but right now where is our (US) voice ... 30 minutes a day with a 10 minute clip, whew. You know what news is, your supposed to be the professionals, have confidence in your ability. I have lost confidence in the elected officials and news, but television affiliates are worried about competition so here is your chance to win back peoples confidence. People watch and listen to Katy, take advantage of that.

[rightbehind]

This needs to be stopped. They are looting this Great Nation. I guess this needs to be the next legislation that the people force through. If the democrats try to pass health care reform without a strong public option available to all they are done. It would be all the republicans could hope for.

[stuart-johns2]

Outlaw lobbyists from contributing to politicians, period. Political finace reform. We need to get the money out of Washington.

A dollar bill never casts a vote.

[chevyhotrod]

stuart-john,
Finally something we both can agree on. I also believe all contributions to anyone?s candidacy should come from within ones voting district. I also believe that once anyone contributes to any political campaign, this should make them and any family member exempt from receiving any federal handouts or contracts. This would all be a good start. Our corrupt government is way out of control.